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PPP/C UNDERMINES LOCAL DEMOCRATIC ORGANS – THEIR ONLY INTEREST IS CONTROL AND DOMINATION
The PNCR wishes to respond to Stabroek News’ Monday Editorial titled, “The cleanup and the city.” Let us start by pointing out that SN’s applause of the President, the government, and the PSC for the effort flies in the face of the newspaper’s own case that the exercise reeked of devious and self-serving political calculations on the part of the PPP.
While a cleanup of the City is welcome, it has to be noted, that it is the Government’s decision to starve the City Council of funds, its unwillingness to allow the representatives of the people to function and its desire to dominate and control all aspects of people’s life in Guyana that is responsible for the terrible state of the City. The PPP/C inherited a clean City and in pursuance of its policy to make PNCR and APNU+AFC led Councils look bad, it facilitated the pile up of garbage in Georgetown.
The PPP/C government has suppressed and oppressed every Council that was won by the PNCR or APNU+AFC and put obstacles in their way to ensure they cannot function properly. Clearly, they are preparing the way to remove them and install IMCs. This would not work. What the government needs to do is to show that they are committed to local democracy and allow the local democratic organs to function without the PPP/C control and domination. In addition, the Ministry of Local Government needs a competent Minister who is committed to the development of local democracy in Guyana and not a political hack that is a control freak.
Yes, a cleaned city is good, but the Editor of SN surely knows how easy it is for governments to lull and appease the public while methodically wreaking havoc on their basic rights and democratic institutions as is the case with these Councils.
The SN Editorial then argues, “No matter his concerns, it is ludicrous and politically immature for the Mayor to have sought a boycott of the cleanup rather than to seek some role for the council in the process.” SN here displays a shocking naivetÃĐ that is beyond, to borrow its own word, “ludicrous”. Before dwelling further on this, let us state, for the record, that the decision to withhold the Party’s support for another piece of PPP political swindling was formally taken by our Party’s Central Executive.
In the circumstances, we do not know what role SN could possibly discern, given its own admission that the clean-up was “a one-off politically expedient” effort, that “for decades PPP/C governments have skirmished with opposition-led city councils and always for political capital”, and that “the cleanup may be a sign that [the PPP] is already looking towards local government elections this year.” That is exactly our Party’s argument. Add to that, the visit of the Brazilian President and you would recognize it is not a commitment to providing a clean environment but a one-off programme that will satisfy PPP/C narrow political ends and facilitate the use of PPP/C elite, family and friends vehicles and other services to enrich themselves.
There are no two ways about this. These motives and attitudes of the PPP provide no basis for collaboration between government/City Hall and government/opposition-led local councils.
So, while we understand the relief felt by citizens from the city clean-up, the PNCR again calls on the PPP to:
1. ensure local democratic organs are allowed to serve the people who elected them. We will not support the imposition of IMCs;
2. provide adequate funding and other resources to these organs; and
3. desist from using the Disciplined Forces for such exercises, and instead use the opportunity to provide employment for local residents and small operators on a permanent and professional basis.
Should the government display good faith on these and other local government issues, the PNCR stands ready to engage in the interest of all Guyanese and their communities.
People’s National Congress Reform
Congress Place, Sophia
Georgetown, Guyana
Django

City in a bad shape. Have to give the presi credit for his humility and eagerness. However, he is a big boy now. They allowed the building codes to go. Proper plans for drainage were ignored. Now we have nuff ugly square boxes for buildings existing in periodic flash floods. PNC encouraged vendors to tek over the pavements. Hammie was a main player in this vendor crisis. The garbage collection system doesn't work. Chickens coming home to roost...after decades of PPP/PNC domination of the country, we now look like a low IQ nation, a most backward people. It is shameful to all the outsiders coming down here.

T

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